Refrigerating apparatus.



PATBNTED JULY 4, 1905.

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(MJ-Umkw No. 793,696- v PATENTED JULY 4. 1905. G. 'I'. VOORHEES.

lREFRIG}}RA'IIl\TGr APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED M128, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR @Im BAM C @MM MMM f/Lada #a'pbm Nirnn STATES Patented July 4, 1905.

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

SPEGIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,696, dated July 4, 1905.

Application filed January 28, 1901. Serial No. 44,985.

To all whom) z5 771/514/ cm1/cern:

Be it known that I, GARDNER T. VooRHEns, a citizen of the Umted States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suifolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Refrigerating Ap paratus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure lV is a vertical section of a cooler on line 2 2 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1, showing portions of the main -tube plate into which the main tubes are secured and also the trusses which lie between the main-tube plate and the secondary-tube plate, together with other details, portions of the dome and portions of the secondarytube plate being broken away. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on lines 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a truss or rib. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail showing the method of securing the tubes to the main and secondary tube plates and one of the numerous trusses between said plates. It also shows one of the stays and the plates which support the main tubes when not in a vertical position. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of substantially the sanne form of device shown in Fig. l, but adapted to be used as an absorber. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail of one of the tubes and plates of said absorber'. Fig. 8 is a section of the same on line 9 9 of Fig. 9. Fig. 9 shows a section of the preferred form of perforated plug to be used, at end of inner tube of absorber.

The present form of cooler used with refrigerating apparatus, although vastiy superior to any known form of expansion-coil, 1s

open to many objections. It generally consists of an outer vertical cylindrical shell having domed heads bolted, respectively, to the top and bottom anges thereof. Each of these heads has a row of holes through which pass the coil tails or ends of several long closely-wound spiral brine cooling-coils of pipe, lock -nuts or stuHing-boxes, together with rubber gaskets, being used to make tight joints between coil-tails and the domed heads. These coil-tails outside of the cooler are gathered together in headers, one at the top and one at the bottom of the cooler, and are provided with more lock-nuts or stufiing-boxes. The cooler is usually supported some little distance above its foundations either on castiron legs or structural-iron frames, so that the lower header is accessible. Liquid ammonia isffed into the cooler`near the bottom thereof and surrounds the comparatively warm brine-coils inside the cylindrical shell. This liquid ammonia is thus vaporized and passes off as vapor through an outlet at the top of the cooler. The following are the vital points wherein this type of cooler is at fault: The great length and comparatively small cross-sectional area of each of these spiral coils oifers an excessive frictional resistance to the passage of the brine. Tn order to force the requisite amount of brine therethrough, there must be a difference of from twenty-live to seventy-live' pounds pressure per square inch between the pressures at the inlet and outlet brine-headers. This is a serious objection. lt means that extra work must be donc by the brine-pumps, which is a source of unnecessary expense. These long spiral coils are heavy and difficult to handle, are difficult to repair, and difficult to replace quickly. If from any cause one of these spiral coils should leak, the operationl of the whole cooler must be stopped until the leak is discovered and repaired. The insulating of the spiral-coil coolers is expensive, as much difiiculty is experienced in getting at and working around the coil-tails and headers. Having now pointed out some of the objections which l have found in these coolers, the following description of my cooler will clearly show how I overcome them.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my inventionand the best mode now known to me of applying' that principle, A is an upright cylindrical shell of a cooler having a main domed head a riveted thereon near the bottom thereof. The casing projects below the main domed head a and, with ah angleiron c, which is riveted to the shell, forms the base of the cooler'. This construction thus does away with the usual cast-iron legs. To the top of the shell is riveted a wroughtiron flange a2, and to this flange is bolted a IOO wrought-iron main-tube plate B and a castiron ring L. Secured to top of this cast-iron ring b is bolted va wrought-iron secondarytube plate B and a cast-iron secondary domed head L', having therein aflanged port Z22. The main-tube plate B is preferably of wroughtiron and is tapped for a great number of main tubes C. Each of these tubes is provided with a threaded portion c, which screws into its respective hole in the main-tube plate B.

To insure a permanently gas-tight joint between the main-tube plate and each of its tubes, I preferably employ a solder-joint c. It is made by countersinking each tube-hole in the main-tube plate B and then while the tube is heated and in position in the plate by filling the depression with melted solder. Each main tube C is closed at its end adjacent to the main head (t, and its upper portion extends through the middle chamber formed by the cast-iron ring and the main and secondary tube plates B B and also up through an opening therefor in the secondary-tube plate B. Part way between said plates B B each main tube C has two holes c4 in its walls. That portion of each main tube C that projects through the secondary-tube plate and is adjacent to the secondary domed head 6' (see Fig. 5) is threaded and receives thereon acastiron cap c5, that carries a secondary tube cf. The latter has an exterior diameter less than the interior diameter of the main tube, anda portion of said secondary tube is within the main tube C and extends nearly to the closed end of the latter. Each cap c5 has a gasket c7 in contact with the secondary-tube plate Bl and the main tube C. A tight joint is thus formed between said plate B and said tube C. The main and secondary tube plates B B are thus securely bolted together by the threaded main tubes C and the caps 05. To

brace these main and secondary tube plates B B', and thus prevent their bulging by reason of an excess of pressure on either side of either plate, I provide strips or ribs of wroughtiron B2, which are mounted onVV edge between said main and secondary tube plates B B and which extend between lines of said main tubes. This combination of the plates, tubes, and ribs is somewhat similar in construction to that of aplate-girder, and each plate so braced is strong enough to withstand very great pressure exerted on either side of it.

As the main tubes C need support in case they are not in a vertical position, as is the case during shipment, they are provided with two supporting-plates B3 Bf, that lit within and bear on the shell A. These plates B3 B4 have holes 3 1 b5 therein for the free circulation of any refrigerant liquid for each main tube C and also for the rods D, which support the plates B3 Bf. Each of these rods D is lixed to the main-tube plate B in the same manner as are the main tubes C, already described, and it freely passes through the supportingplates B3 B4; but incasing each of the said rods D and between the main-tube plates B and the su pporting-plate B3 and also between the latter and the su pporting-plate B4 are two pieces of piping fl d of larger diameter than the supporting-rod holes b5. Threaded on the bottom kportion of each of said rods D are two nuts Z2 23, which when screwed up tight against the supporting-plate B4 rigidly secure both of said supporting-plates B3 B4 to the main-tubeplate B. and thus keep the tubes C in proper alinement, whatever the position of the cooler, and reduce the chances of injuring the tight joint between the main tubes C and the main-tube plate B.

The operation of this cooler is as follows: Brine enters through the fianged opening 52 in the cast-iron secondary domed head b, lilling the secondary chamber orspace between said domed head and the wrought-iron secondary-tube plate B. Here the brine enters each secondary tube o, flows downward and out at the bottom thereof, and then returns upward through the annular space formed between the outer wall of the tube c and the inner' wall of tube C. It will be noticed that this annular space is of comparatively small cross-section, so that every particle of the brine must come in contact with the ,cold inside wall of tube C, the outer wall of which is immersed in the cold liquid ammonia surrounding the outside of each tube. The brine continues up this annular space between the outer and inner tubes. finds exit through the. holes c", into the middle chamber formed by the cast-iron chamber and the main and secondary tube plates B B/ and then passes out through the flanged port b5. drous ammonia is fed in by an ex pansion-valve through opening a3 near the bottom of the shell A. This liquid ammonia fills the space Liquid anhybetween the shell A and the outside of the Y main tubes C, where it is evaporated by thc heat given to it by the brine in said tube C. The vapor given off from this liquid anhydrous ammonia then passes out of the cooler through flanged outlet L4 to` the compressor or absorber.

The total cross-sectional area of the great number of comparatively short tubes employed by me offers but little frictional resistance to the passage of the brine, so that, as above described, instead of twenty-five to seventy-five pounds friction-head. as is the case in the ordinary coole-r, my cooler has a friction-head of from two to live pounds per square inch. In brief, the points that 4should be noticed in favor of this cooler are its simplicity of construction, the ease with which it can be repaired, and the small frictional resistance offered to the passage of the brine.

What has been said in reference to the faults in the construction of coolers applies to all devices which in refrigerating apparatus employ long coils of pipe, and while I have shown ISO and described my invention as embodied in an improved cooler I desire to be understood as claiming my invention in the broadest manner leg'ally possible. It may be embodied in not only coolers, but exchangers, condensers, absorbers, analyzers, and rectifiers. For instance, substantially the same device as the above cooler can be very successfully used as an absorber by simply inverting the'cooierthat is, inverting the position of the tubes C., their plates B B, and trusses B2, as shown in Figs. 6 and .7. In this case water as a cooling medium enters the main chamber through a port a* near the main-tube plate B, circulates through the main chamber, and then leaves it either by a port, as b, in the head of the main chamber or a port f in the extended walls of the shell, the ammonia-gas entering middle chamber at b and being absorbed by the weak liquor in tubes C C.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown the preferred form of a perforated cap ci to be used to close the end of inner tube c of absorber. It is of smaller diameter than the main tube C, is interiorly threaded to engage threads cut exteriorly upon the end portion of the inner tube c, and has a polygonal head cm. Extending downwardly from the top of the inside ot' said cap is a conical projection cu. Ribs o1' guides c hold said cap and the inner tube in the axis of the main tube. A hole c12 extends axially through said cap. A threaded plug el? closes the main tube. To secure the cap cs to the inner tube c, the threaded plug cl3 is removed from'the main tube C. The ribbed cylindrical cap c8 is dropped down upon the inner tube c, the conical projection c entering the open end thereof, and then by means of the polygonal head cw and a wrench the cap is screwed down into the position shown in Fig. 8. In operation the weak liquid ammonia flows up through the inner tube c, the

hole cl2, and trickles down between the main tube C, ribs c", and the cap ci, where, as shown in Fig. 7, it mingles with the ammonia-gas,

absorbs it and becomes enriched and escapes into the middle chamber.

Vhat I claim is- 1. A refrigerating apparatushaving a shell; an end therefor; a main-tube plate, and a secondary-tube plate, within said shell; a plu-rality oi' tubes passing through said plates; means rigidly to tix said tubes in the Amain plate; trusses lying between said plates and also between said tubes, to support and stiften said plates; means on the portion ot' each of said tubes, extending through said secondary plate, whereby the plates and trusses are rigidly bound together; and proper inlets and outlets for said apparatus.

2. Arefrigeratingapparatus,havingashell; an end therefor; a main-tube plate, and a secondarytube plate, within said shell; a plurality of tubes passing through said plates; means rigidly to fix said tubes in the main plate; a

solder-joint between each tube and the main plate; trusses lying between said plates, and also between said tubes, to support and stiicn said plates; means on the portion oi' each of said tubes extending through said secondary plate, whereby the plates and trusses are rigidly bound together, and the joint formed by each tube and the secondary plate, hermetically sealed; and proper inlets and outlets for said apparatus 3. In a refrigerating apparatus, a device madeup ofashell; ends therefor; amain-tube plate and a secondary-tube plate within said shell; a plurality of tubes passing through said plates; means rigidly to iix said tubes in the main plate; trusses lying between said plates and also between said tubes, to support and stitfen said plates; means on the portion of each of said tubes, extending through said secondary plate, whereby the plates and trusses are rigidly bound together; and properinlets and outlets for said device.

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, a device made up of a shell; ends therefor; amain-tube plate and a secondary-tube plate within said shell; a plurality of tubes passing through said plates; means rigidly to fix said tubes in the main plate.; a solder-joint between each tube and the main plate; trusses lying between said plates, and also between said tubes, to support and stiften said plates; means on the portion of each of said tubes extending through said secondary plate, whereby the plates and trusses are rigidly bound together, and the joint formed by each tube and the secondary plate hermetically sealed; and proper inlets and outlets for said device.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus, a device made upot' ashell; ends therefor; amain-tube plate and a secondary-tube plate within said shell; a plurality of tubes passing through said plates; means rigidly to ix said tubes in the main-tube plate; a sealed joint between each tube and the main-tube plate; trusses lying between said plates and also between said tubes, to support and stiften said plates; means on the portion of each of said tubes extending through said outer plate, whereby the plates and trusses are rigidly bound together; the joints formed by each tube and the secondary plate beinghermetically sealed; means to support the tubes and hold them in alinement so as to avoid injury to the joints and consequent leakage; and proper inlets and outlets for said device. A

6. In a refrigerating apparatus, a device madeupofashell; ends therefor; amain-tube plate and a secondary-tube plate within said shell; a plurality of main tubes passing through said plates, the free ends ot' said tubes being closed; means rigidly to fix said tubes in the main plate; outlets in said tubes, to communicate between the inside of said tubes and the chamber Jformed between said plates and the shell; trusses lying between said plates IUO IIC

and also between said tubes, to support and stiften said plates; means on that portion of each of said tubes extending through said secondary plate, whereby the plates and trusses are rigidly bound together; a secondary tube within each of said main tubes, one open end ot' which is near the bottom of said larger main tube, while the other end opens into the chamber formed by the secondary-tube plate and the adjacent end of the shell of the device and thus forms a communication between said chamber and the chamber between the tubeplates; an inlet into said chamber formed between the end and the secondary-tube plate; an outlet from chamber formed between said tube-plates and the shell; an inlet and an outlet to the chamber formed by the shell, the main-tube plate and the end of said device.

7. In a refrigerating apparatus, a device made up of a shell; ends therefor; a main-tube plate and a secondary-tube plate within said shell; a plurality of main tubes passing' through said plates, the free ends of said tubes being closed; means rigidlyT to iix said tubes in the main plate; outlets in said tubes, to communicate between the inside of said tubes and the chamber formed between said plates and the shell; trusses lying between said plates and also between said tubes, to support and stiften said plates; means on that portion of each of said tubes, extending' through said secondary plate, whereby the plates and trusses are rigidly bound together; means to seal the joints between said tubes and said plates; a secondary tube within each oi' said main tubes, one open end of which is near the bottom of said larger main tube, while the other end opens into the chamber formed by the secondary-tube plate and the adjacent end of the shell of the device and thus forms a communication between said chamber and the chamber between the tubeplates; an inlet into said chamber formed between the end and the secondary-tube plate; an outlet from chamber formed between said tube-plates and the shell; an inlet and outlet to the chamber formed by the shell, the maintube plate and the end of said device.

8. In a refrigerating apparatus, a deviceV made up of a shell; ends therefor; amaintube plate and a secondary-tube plate within said shell; a plurality of tubes passing through said plates; the free ends of said tubes being closed; means rigidly to fix said tubes in the main plate; means to seal the joints between said' tubes and plates; outlets in said tubes to communicate between the inside of said tubes and the chamber between said plates and the shell; trusses lying between said plates and also between said tubes, to support and stiifen said plates; a threaded cap on that outer portion of each of said tubes extending through said secondary plate whereby the plates and trusses are rigidly bound together; a packing on the under side of said cap to hermetically seal the joint between the cap and the secondary plate; a secondary and smaller tube within each of said main tubes; one end of which is near the bottom of said larger tubes, while the other end opens into the chamber formed by the secondary-tube plate and the adjacent end of the shell of the device; said outer por.- tion of the secondary tube passing through and secured in said cap and extending into said chamber; an inlet for said chamber formed between the end and the secondary-tube plate; an outlet from chamber formed between said tube-plates and the shell; an inlet and outlet to the chamber formed by the shell, the maintube plate and the end of the device.

9. In a refrigerating apparatus, a device made up of a wrought-iron shell, a wroughtiron end, a main wrought-iron tube-plate, said three parts being secured together forming one chamber; a cast-iron piece secured to said shell and a secondary wrought-iron tube plate secured to said cast-iron piece whereby a second chamber is formed; and a cast-iron end secured to said cast-iron piece whereby a third chamber is formed; aplurality of tubes passing' through said plates; means rigidly to fix said tubes in the main plate; trusses lying between said tube-plates and also between said tubes, to support and stifen said plates; means on that portion of each of said tubesl extending through said secondary plate, whereby the plates and trusses are rigidly bound together; and proper inlets and outlets for said device.

In testimony whereof Iafx my signature in i Witnesses:

EDWIN B. THAYER, FRANK T. HIER. 

